Game apparatus



Jall- 1963 v. v. TIIKKAINEN 3,073,598

GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n! "'0 0 oiW'fat A INVENTOR. Vs/kko l/. Fume/Mm BY I im-12mm I'fdRIElS V. V. THKKAINEN GAME APPARATUS Jan. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1959 INVENTOR. Ve/mvo M WIAAAMMW BY I Arm:

United States Patent Ofilice 3,073,598 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 3,073,598 GAME APPARATUS Veikko V. Tiikkainen, 4604 29th Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Sept. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 842,304 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to a game apparatus, and particularly to one which has some similarity to a golf game in that it comprises a playing piece to be projected in flight, a member to project said playing piece, and a designated goal for said projected member.

It is desirable to have such a game which may be played by practically all age groups from the time ability to walk is acquired and in which no particular skill is a requisite for an enjoyable playing of the game. It is also desirable to have such a game which may be played by the young and old together, or respectively by either one of such groups among themselves with equal enjoyment and in which a competitive interest is excited.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a game apparatus comprising a playing piece adapted to be projected, a member for projecting said playing piece, and a goal to be reached by said projected member.

It is another object of this invention to provide a game apparatus comprised of a few parts which are light in weight and easily contained in a relatively small package to be carried about and which may be positioned for playing in practically any play area either indoors or out-of-doors.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a game apparatus comprising a rounded member or playing piece having projections at opposite sides thereof and adapted to be tipped to have one of said projections extending upwardly, an elongated rod-like member for striking a projecting portion of said playing piece to project the same in flight, and a goal such as may be in the form of a ringlike member supported in a raised position for said projected playing .piece to be projected into.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide a game apparatus comprising a substantially rounded playing piece having projections at opposite sides thereof and adapted to have one of said projections eX- tending upwardly normally, a base member adapted to support said playing piece in a position elevated from the ground, an elongated rod-like member adapted to strike said projecting portion of said playing piece to project the same in flight, and a goal member formed as a ring supported in a raised position adapted to have said playing piece projected thereinto.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of applicants game apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation and partially in vertical section showing a portion of applicants game apparatus in alternate position in dotted line;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of applicants game apparatus;

FIG. 4 is aview in side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of a portion of applicants game apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of a playing member of applicants game apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a view in end elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 6; a

FIG. 8 is a view in central vertical section of the structure shown in FIG..6;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing a modification in structure;

FIG. 10 is a view in side elevation showing a modification of a playing member of applicants game apparatus;

FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation showing another modification of a playing member of applicants game apparatus;

FIG. 12 is a view in end elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a view in central vertical section of the structure shown in FIG. 11.

With reference to the drawings, like characters are used in connection with identical parts throughout the several views. Referring to FIGS. 1-8, a playing piece It} is indicated. Said playing piece may be variously formed to carry out the functions which are performed with it in connection with applicants game apparatus. Said playing piece 10 is here indicated as being substantially spherical in form having a hollow interior and having a casing formed of a tough resilient material such as of plastic and here shown to have a perforate body structure having a multiplicity of perforations 12 therein. Disposed diametrically through said playing piece 10 is a cylindrical member 13 having end portions 14 and 15 projecting outwardly of said playing piece 10. Said cylindrical member 13 may be initially formed integrally with the casing of said member 10 or may be separately formed and disposed therethrough and secured thereto as by heat sealing. Disposed in said cylindrical member 13 is a weight 16 here shown to be freely movable from one end of said cylinder 13 to its other end. Normally said weight 16 will move to one end of said cylindrical member 13 to weight this end downwardly and lift the other projecting end to a raised position.

Applicants playing piece is particularly adapted for relatively short flights in being projected in the play of the game, as will be described. The travel distance of the playing piece may be readily increased by forming the casing of the playing piece of imperforate material although in the embodiment of the invention here disclosed it is shown as having a perforate body structure.

Adapted to support the playing piece 10 in a playing position is a supporting or base member 13 which may be suitably formed in various ways, and in the embodiment of the invention here disclosed is shown having a circular rim portion 19 of a short height provided with a peripheral annular groove or channel 20 thereabove and having a substantially convex upper portion 21. The surface of said upper portion 21 will be formed to enable said playing piece to be positioned at any desir able point thereon. Said surface may be variously formed, as by being roughened or by having an endless spiral rib thereon. Said upper portion however, as indicated in FIG. 2, is here shown having formed in the surface thereof a multiplicity of adjacent rounded projections 22 of suitable size and height for having the perforate body of said playing piece positioned thereon.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a target member 25 is provided of sufficient size to have said playing piece 10 disposed therethrough. Said member 25 comprises a ring portion 26 supported in raised position a short distance above ground or floor level by a plurality of legs 27 here shown to be three in number and indicia -28 bearing the character 4 appears on one of the legs to identify said member. A plurality of said members will be used in the playing of the game.

Applicants game apparatus is adapted to simulate a golf game with said member 25 representing what would be the holes in connection with a golf game and said member 18 representing what would be the tees used in connection with a golf game.

Referring to FIG. 5, a member 30 is shown used for projecting into space said playing piece 10. Said member 30 may be variously formed and is here shown formed as an elongated rod-like member 39 preferably having a small degree of flexibility and having a hand gripping portion 31 and a plurality of forwardly extending offset portions 32, 33 and 34 of increasing transverse dimension. Said member 30 will be used to strike the upwardly extending projecting portion of said playing piece 10 to project said playing piece into flight. A different degree of striking effect is secured in striking said playing piece 10 with different of said offset portions of said member 39. Thus the greatest striking effect is secured by striking a playing piece with the outer end portion 34 of said member 30 which p rtion is indicated as being the drive portion. The central offset portion 33 is used as indicated for approach purposes and the innermost offset portion 32 is used for projecting the playing piece 10 but a very short distance such as for putting purposes.

In operation, a number of the ring-like members 25 willbe spaced apart at desired distances upon the playing area. Applicants game is well adapted for play either indoors or out-of-doors and is conveniently adaptable for use in connection with any size of a playing areainasmuch as more or less of said ring members 25 may be used and they may be spaced any desired distances apart. The starting position in the play of the game will be some distance from the first of said ring members 25 at which point the base member 18 will be positioned. The playing piece 10 will be positioned on said base member 18 and may be positioned at certain different points thereon depending on the distance which it maybe desired to project said playing piece. With reference to FIG.-2, theplaying piece at the left will have a higher trajectory than will be the playing piece indicated to the right.

The striking member 30 is then taken in hand by the player and the outwardly extending projecting end portion 14 of the playing piece 1 will be struck by said striking member to project said playing piece in the direction of the first of said ring members 25.

It is obvious that more striking power is obtainable by striking with the end portion of said member 30 than by striking with an inner portion. In playing this game, skill will be readily acquired in using the member 30 and in positioning said playing piece to project said playing piece certain different desired distances. When said playing piece 10 has been projected into the first of said ring members 25 the player will proceed to the next such ring-like member until all have been successfully reached.

The applicants game apparatus is well adapted for use by players of all ages and it is well adapted for competitive interest to be developed between players of various ages.

With reference to FIG. 9, a playing piece 35 is indicated identical in form to said playing piece 1 (l-but formed of halves 36 and 37 each having a different total weight or different weight distribution. This may be variously accomplished.

In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, said member 35 is indicated as having a perforate shell having oppositely projecting cylindrical portions 36a and 37a with projection 37a having a Weight 38 permanently fixed therein. Thus projection 35a will normally be in an upwardiy raised position.

With reference to FIG. 10, a playing piece 39 is indicated identical in construction with said playing piece 10 with the exception that instead of being spherical it is provided with a somewhat cylindricalcentiral body portion 40 having somewhat flattened end portions 41 which will provide some difference in the way. that said playing piece will travel when projected in flight and when rolling on moving in contact with .a surface from 4 the manner in which said playing piece would travel under like conditions.

Referring to FIGS. 11-13, a playing piece 45 is shown representing another modification of applicants playing piece and is here indicated as being substantially elliptical in form having a rib 46 extending centrally transversely thereabout and having a cylindrical portion 47 extending axially therethrough and having projecting end portions 48 and 49 extending outwardly at either end thereof with a movable weight 50 being disposedwithin said cylindrical member 47. The casing of said playing piece 45 is shown here as being imperforate in structure.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a very simply constructed and highly interesting game apparatus in the play of which competitive skills may be developed between various age groups and in which various numbers of persons may engage in play at any given time, and which game apparatus is readily carried about and set up for play either indoors or out-of-doors in various sized areas.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement, and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combination of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a substantially elliptical member having an upstanding rib disposed centrally transversely thereabout forming a tilting point, a cylindrical member disposed through said elliptical member lengthwise thereof and having cylindrical portions projecting outwardly at either end thereof, a member forming a weight disposed for free movement in said cylindrical member whereby one projecting end of said cylindrical member is weighted downwardly in a ground engaging position with said tilting point as a central raised support and the other end thereof is elevated when said elliptical member is at rest, and a rod-like member of some length having cylindrical offset portions of increasing transverse dimension in a direction away from the handle thereof for striking the elevated projecting end of said cylindrical member to cause said elliptical member to be projected into flight.

2. A game apparatus comprising a substantially spherical member, a cylindrical member of small transverse dimension disposed diametrally through said spherical member having cylindrical projecting end portions at either side thereof, a movable weight in said cylindrical member holding one of the ends of said cylindrical member in a ground engaging position and holding said other end in a raised position when said member is at rest, a ring-like frame member supported by spaced legs to have said spherical member disposable therein, a substantially semi-spherical supporting member having a non-smooth surface thereon to support said spherical member at various elevations thereon, and a rod-like member for striking the upwardly raised projecting end portion of said cylindrical member to put said spherical member into flight whereby said spherical member may be projected from said supporting member in the direction of said frame-like member to be disposed therein.

3. A game apparatus having in combination, a playing piece comprising a substantially spherical body portion, a cylindrical portion disposed diametrally through said spherical portion and having cylindrical end portions extending outwardly of said spherical portion, a Weight in said cylindrical. portion movable. freely therethrough to weight one end portion thereof into a ground engaging position and elevating the other end portion thereof, and a rod-like member increasing in transverse dimension in a direction away from. the handle thereof for striking said elevated end portion to project said playing piece into flight.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3, said rod-like member comprising a plurality of cylindrical offset portions each of increasing transverse dimension in a direction away from the handle thereof, with each of said offset portions being of a length for projecting said playing piece diiferent distances into flight.

5. The structure set forth in claim 3, and a base member comprising a spherical segment having a vertically disposed rim portion, a substantially convex upper surface portion, and a multiplicity of rounded convex projections formed on said surface for supporting said playing piece in diiferent positions for different elevations for the projection of said playing piece into flight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,282,724 Anderson Oct. 29, 1918 1,387,946 Rutherford et a1. Aug. 16, 1921 1,483,165 Eaton Feb. 12, 1924 1,873,211 Nekuda Aug. 23, 1932 2,585,780 Johnson Feb. 12, 1952 2,859,968 Modica Nov. 11, 1958 

3. A GAME APPARATUS HAVING IN COMBINATION, A PLAYING PIECE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL BODY PORTION, A CYLINDRICAL PORTION DISPOSED DIAMETRALLY THROUGH SAID SPHERICAL PORTION AND HAVING CYLINDRICAL END PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID SPHERICAL PORTION, A WEIGHT IN SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION MOVABLE FREELY THERETHROUGH TO WEIGHT ONE END PORTION THEREOF INTO A GROUND ENGAGING POSITION AND ELEVATING THE OTHER END PORTION THEREOF, AND A ROD-LIKE MEMBER INCREASING IN TRANSVERSE DIMENSION IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE HANDLE THEREOF FOR STRIKING SAID ELEVATED END PORTION TO PROJECT SAID PLAYING PIECE INTO FLIGHT. 